The Desert Flower
Continuing from Episode 008 of the Wings of Red arc, '''The Desert Flower' cuts to Mina Blutbayne and her journey after leaving Wings of Archadia in Magnolia Town. Spending 4 days on board a train, she finally arrives at Clover Town in hopes to meet an old acquaintance. Who could this acquaintance be? And would could her mission be in the face of this new enemy.'' Clover Town The train exited the tunnel that cut through the mountain surrounding Clover Town. The sunlight from the noon sun shined down on the trains cars as it traveled over a small grassy clearing between the base of the mountains and a thick forested area in front of it. Coming from the darkness, the light caused Mina to squint her eyes as she looked through the window. As it moved across its tracks, there was a sudden whooshing sound as it entered the tree line. The thick canopy cut the light to a more manageable level and opened her eyes fully again. She sat in a mostly empty car with the only sound was the rumbling of the wheels turning underneath her. It was an older train, composed of bronze and wooden framing, decorated with red satin cloth that covered the seats and hung as curtains over the windows. The seats were arranged in pairs, facing each other, with each one supporting at least two people. Between each pair was a small lantern that helped illuminate the cart during the night. Running through the center of the cart was a dark green shag rug separating the seats into left and right sections. The only other occupants were several business men and people dressed in formal attire. She herself was dressed more casually, with a knee length white skirt that dipped to one side in a diagonal cut and frills hanging off the edges and over the knees. She wore brown cowboy boots, while her legs remained exposed from the middle of shins and the end of her skirt. Mina had a powder blue sleeveless shirt over her chest and a white scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was in a high bun while her bangs hung over her face in a styled manner. She had several large loop bracelets around her left. She sat with her legs crossed, her bags at her feet and her tan leather jacket resting on the seat next her, one elbow resting on the window's edge. Through the trees, Mina could make out the beginning of the town wall that sectioned it off from the rest the landscape and could feel the train beginning to slow down. She grabbed her belongings and prepared to disembark. When the train stopped, the conductor stepped out onto the platform, yelling the time of the next departure and the occupants filtered out once all the doors had opened. Mina made her way down the platform, interrupted by an too enthusiastic young gentlemen asking if she needed a carriage. She declined and continued walking, not seeing the face of rejection on the man. When she exited the station, she could get a better visual of what Clover Town looked like. The buildings were fairly simple, composed of stone and wood colored beige and dark brown, respectively. These structures gathered in small groups separated by clumps of trees and streets of white cobblestone splintered throughout the entire town. Its not unlike Magnolia Town, though at a much smaller scale, and supported its own infrastructure. The streets were free of garbage and street lights lit up once the sun set over the mountains. Immediately outside the station was a small market place that traded several goods such as food, clothing and accessories. But it did also support a small system of trade with the materials transported either through the train or the much longer method by road that exited on the north and south side of the town. Clover Town was a fairly small town, but it was still an important one. This town is where legal guild masters gather to discuss their guilds, such as missions, goals and/or issues they are having. In recent years, it came under attack by the demon, Lullaby, and with the help of Fairy Tail, they were able to defeat the creature. It has since repaired itself, rebuilding the old Guild Meeting Building, where no doubt some masters were currently in. But that is not where Mina was heading, no. She was searching for a small restaurant known as The Desert Rose, and a man named Alten Lehrer. The Old Teacher When she arrived at the Desert Flower, Mina didn't quite anticipate seeing what she did. In front of her was a small, but quaint restaurant that resembled a large wooden shack with a short metal exhaust sticking out from the roof that let out a thin trail of steam. The front of the restaurant was largely open, with a wooden awning that was the front wall raised up. This created a nice shade from the afternoon sun that covered several small tables set in front of the restaurant. A small "A" shaped sign standing at the edge of its shadow with today's specials. There was a small step up into the restaurant where additional tables were set. From the ceiling hung a few red paper lanterns that helped create a warm ambience when night approached. As she walked closer, she could hear sizzling from inside, the smell of savory smelling food hitting her nose. It was after lunch so only a few patrons remained as they casually ate their food. She read the sign, noting its big exclamation points around famous steam buns, not doubt the restaurant's speciality. When she looked in the restaurant, she saw the back of a tall slender man cutting away at some vegetables with a large cooking knife over a wooden slab. She walked up carefully and quietly, and took a seat at the counter. The man heard the squeaking of the chair but did not turn around. Instead, he continued chopping away at his vegetables, sweeping them into a bowl once he completed, and placed a fresh one after he was done. "I will be right with you. Just one second, please." For his height, he had a surprisingly soft voice and seemed sincere in his words. He had placed a huge red pepper and began dicing it with his knife. On his right was the long metal slab where he cooked his vegetables and several places where he could place his large woks. Several ingredients were already cooking, letting the scent swim together as it worked its way across the ceiling and out the front. "Take your time... Teacher." Mina responded and her voice caused the chef to stop cutting immediately. He did not respond and he didn't turn around. Instead, he just stood there, frozen, as the woks continued to sizzle to his side. He carefully placed his knife back on the magnetic strip attached to the wall where his other cutting utensils hung. It stuck instantly, suspending freely against the wall. He wiped his hands with the white stained apron hanging from his waist and turned to meet Mina. As previously stated, he was a tall man, standing over six feet tall, with yellow catlike eyes and shallow cheekbones. His hair was short and black, with a few strands hanging over his forehead. He finished wiping his hands and stepped towards the counter. A diagonal glass separated the two, and protected the preparing table that he used to put together his dishes. He placed his fists against the wooden surface and leaned on his arms, his shoulders jutting up as he did so. "What can I do for you, Mina?" He responded calmly. "This is a quaint little shop you have here. I wouldn't have taken you for a cook, Teacher." When Mina spoke, she looked around as she did while describing the restaurant. "Its surprising how often people can surprise you." He spoke wittingly. "And I'm not your teacher, not anymore." He turned around and grabbed the bowl with diced vegetables and a squeeze bottle with brown liquid. "In fact, I'm no one's teacher. I'm just a humble chef who works in a small restaurant making small dishes." He squeezed a small amount inside the bowl and began mixing it by shaking the bowl and flipping its contents. "And what should I be calling you then?" Mina asked. "Alten Lehrer, fabled chef of the Desert Flower in Clover Town." Alten went to one of his woks and poured the sauced contents into it and mixed it with a wooden spoon. He let it simmer in the background as he spoke to Mina. "I suppose it suits you. You never did like fighting." Mina grabbed a stiff tanned sheet of paper with a black calligraphy on it. The menu wasn't long, but the dishes sounded quite tasty. "Just because you're good at fighting doesn't mean you have to enjoy it. I thought I taught you two that." Alten responded. Mina placed the menu back on the counter and looked at Alten. "We have to talk about Sparrow." "If I remember correctly, you two left for a less than prestigious life. I'm not sure there's much to talk about." Alten slowly began his cooking routine before Mina had arrived. "We were young, Teacher. The life you wanted for us wasn't what we wanted. We couldn't do it. We didn't know any better." Mina shot back. "I stopped being your teacher when you two left. Remember that." Alten responded as he scooped a hardy amount of food from his wok and poured it into a white ceramic bowl with small yellow flower painted on the side. He walked out from behind the counter and placed the bowl on a patron's table, apologized for the delay with a smile and gave a small bow. When Alten walked behind the counter again, Mina continued her speech. "I understand that you weren't happy with what we did, and believe me, I live with those decisions each and every day. I've tried to atone with those sins, but I think Sparrow is in trouble and I need your help." "And what makes you think I would help you?" Alten pulled a few spices from a rack and placed them on the counter to prepare another dish. "Because I know you care about him, just like you care about me. You can't hide that." Mina tried to reason with Alten, who merely continued cooking. Alten remained quiet for a while as he cooked. Mina tried to get a response from Alten by calling him by his name a few times, foregoing his title of teacher. He stopped preparing his food and turned to Mina. "I'll tell you what. If you want my help, you're going to have to do something for me." "And what's that?" Mina asked. "You have to defeat me." Alten said to Mina, his eyes saying that he wasn't joking. The Past is the Past The small brick home sat in the valley between the green of the grass and the blue of the sky, nestled within the almost vibrant landscape. Surrounding the home was a small wooden fence that simply sectioned off a piece of land to create a yard where a large stone oven funneled upward to create an opening for the smoke to escape. A small fire burned inside and a pile of neatly chopped logs rested near the base to fuel it. From a window, one could see the hills rolling along for miles before ending in the infinite horizon. Two wooden poles stuck out of the ground on the other side of yard with a thin clothesline spanning between the two. Separating the yard is a path of flat stones leading from the door of the house to the fence. Outside of the fence, a small wooden shack sat behind the main home. This serene picture existed somewhere in the memories of Mina and Alten. Alten walked out from the main door towards the oven with two plates of food and placed them on a metal tray. Using a long fork, he stabs several pieces of meat and places them flat on a black metal grill over the fire. There is a hint of worry on his face as he periodically looks back over his shoulder to the only dirt road running adjacent to the home. He turns his head to look down towards one side of the street and then other, as if waiting for something. The scene flashed forward to a younger Mina and Sparrow gleefully making their way towards Alten's home. Night had fully set it and the glow of the windows were the only markers that established the home's location. The teenagers ran up to the door but before they reached, it sprang open in a hurry with Alten standing there. "Where have you two been?" He asked, clearly irritated. Startled, Mina responded. "We apologize, Teacher. But we have some great news." Alten didn't say anything. He merely crossed his arms over his chest and impatiently waited to hear what the two had to say. "We were able to find those bandits that have been running around robbing travelers along the road." A younger Sparrow continued. "And they won't be bothering anyone anymore." His last words seemed ominous and forbodding. There was worry forming on Alten's face. "What did you two do?" He almost seemed afraid to hear the answer. Sparrow, slightly confused by Alten's facial expressions. "I don't understand, Teacher. They were killers. They didn't deserve to live." "You killed them?!" Alten stepped out in night, causing the two teenagers to step back and away from him. "Why did you do that?" His voice was loud and angry. "Teacher, they were a danger. They got what was coming to them." Sparrow defended himself with his words. Mina remained silent, frowning as if she had done something wrong. "I didn't teach you to kill. I taught you to defend yourselves." Alten raised his finger and pointed at the two. "When I rescued you two, I wanted to make sure that no one would ever hurt you like they did. I taught you to only raise your weapons when absolutely necessary. Taking a life is never a good thing. Its never something that you want to do. Its something that haunts every day of your life. Its a decision you have to live with. And you're too young to know what it's supposed to be like to do something like that." "Stop treating us like children." Sparrow shot back. "We were defending ourselves." "By actively seeking them out?" Alten raised his tone with Sparrow. "You chose to kill them. You didn't have to." "Teacher, please, we weren't trying to do anything bad." Mina sheepishly stepped in. "No, Mina." Sparrow was yelling now. "We didn't do anything bad. Teacher just thinks that because he was too scared to do what needed to be done." Mina gasped at Sparrow's last words. "How dare you speak to me like that." Alten exclaimed. "I know the difference between wanting to do something and needing to something. Your blatant desire to use extreme measures is what you want to do, its not what you needed to do. You speak as though you've matured, but you know nothing, Sparrow. You're still that young child angry at the world and you want to punish whoever you can for the life you lived." "And what's wrong with that?" Sparrow's tone matched Alten's as he continued to defend himself. "The world is filled with scum. You're just too blind to see it. This world doesn't need to be saved. Its needs to be razed to the ground and rebuilt." "Is that what you think?" Alten asked. " Do you believe this world can't be saved?" He didn't wait for Sparrow to reply. "Then I'm afraid that you're the one who's blind." "I don't have to listen to you anymore. I've learned everything I needed to learn from you." Mina was scared what Sparrow's words meant, but Alten knew where this was leading to. "If you want to live in this world, then you can watch it burn all around you. I'll be the one actually trying to make it better." And with that Sparrow stormed off, shrugging off Mina's attempt to hold him back and walked off into the night, leaving Alten and Mina alone and in silence. Later that night, as Mina laid in bed, she heard something tap her window. When she looked out, she saw Sparrow waving at her. She opened the window and whispered down to him. "Where did you go, Sparrow?" "Don't worry about it, Mina. But I'm here now and I have some great news." He responded in a whisper, as well. Mina seemed confused. "We're getting out of here. We're gonna make a new life for ourselves." "What are you talking about?" Mina was growing concerned. "I'll explain later. But do you trust me?" He asked Mina. "You know I do." "And do you love me?" "Of course I do." "Then come with me." That was the final whisper said before time flashed forward. The Teacher vs The Student Alten buttoned the cuff of his blue jacket. His trusty sword, Dayspring, hung from his black belt and he brought over his white gloved hand to the handle and drew it slowly from its black sheath. The sound of the blade sliding out was smooth and he swiped the air so fast that a trail of light was all that was seen from the process. "Are you ready to begin?" He asked. Mina, standing far away on the opposite side of the large flat grassy field. She remained in her previous clothes though pulled the scarf free from her neck and let it be carried by the soft wind. She held her hand in the air and closed her eyes, willing magical energy to form in her palm. Suddenly, a trail of white light ran up and revealed a long silver rapier with a blood red blade now held in her hand. Lamentations is Mina's personal sword summoned through her Requip Magic and she held it tightly as light gleamed off the blade, creating a red hue across her face. She held up the umbrella handguard face level and bowed forward before swiping it to the side and bringing up in a fencing stance. One foot forward and her free hand held high behind ber. "I am ready." She replied. A soft wind traveled over the top of the grass, it rippling like a wave as it blew past Mina and Alten. The two stood there with weapons in hand, staring at each other with a steely gaze. The sun signaled that it was mid afternoon as it lowered slowly to the horizon. Mina was the first to act by leaping towards Alten with her blade extended forward. With her incredible speed, she was able to cover the distance between the two in an instant. She placed her foot only a few feet in front of Alten and lunged with Lamentations, making sure to not over extend and create an opening. Alten reacted immediately, parrying the attack masterfully by swatting the tip of the rapier and spinning around on his heels with a quick sweeping arc. Despite his height, Alten moved with amazing grace and Dayspring howled in the air as it approached Mina's head. Instinctively, Mina turned his wrist and brought her elbow in, able to deflect the attack just in time with Lamentations. The blades collided with a resounding echo and sparks flew into the air. Mina was able to successfully cancel the attack but was surprised by the sheer level of strength behind it. It was enough to throw her back and slide to a stop. When she regained her footing, she quickly readjusted her stance to a balanced one. Alten simply stood there with Dayspring to his side. Mina skipped forward, balancing herself on the balls of her feet, and threw a series of quick paced attacks. The first one was high and Alten gestured to block it but kept his elbow in to defend in his midsection. She brought her rapier back and went for his sides, which Alten responded by stepping back so that he would be outside of her effective striking range. Mina then finished by stepping to regain her range and Alten immediately brought Dayspring down towards her and stopped just an inch above her face. Mina was in mid defense but she was unable to block the attack. Instead, she stared at the edge of Dayspring, shocked at how close she was to being killed. Alten simply looked down at her as he held his sword in place with a single hand. "Your First Triangle needs work." Alten simply said with a calm tone. Frustrated, Mina swatted Dayspring with Lamentations angrily and walked off into the distance and re-entered her fighting stance. "There are plenty of tricks that I've learned in my travels." Alten raised Dayspring in a loose defensive stance. "We're just getting started." The wind picked up once again with a feint howling. Mina's next volley of attacks appeared hesitant and more defensive. She made short thrusts, immediately retracting the blade for cover. Alten calmly blocked each one in that calm expression. He didn't even seem to enter any traditional fighting stance. He simply stood tall and casually walked between each attack. "Is this the fruits of your training?" Alten said and deflected one of Mina's attacks. He immediately prepared a counter attack by bringing down his sword towards her. Suddenly, Mina spun around Alten with blurring speed, catching the older swordsman by surprise and Mina thrusted forward with a mightly lunge. Confident that she would hit her mark, she was shocked to see him fade from her vision and appear directly above her. She barely had enough time to block Alten's sword as it crashed down on her rapier. She used her other hand to support the blade against Alten's strength, but the force with which he hit her with was too much and slid one leg forward and the other back, performing a perfect split to disperse the force safely through her. Once Alten landed, she swept her back leg forward, placed her free hand on the ground and lifted herself in a single handstand. Her skirt expanded in the spinning motion like an upside down umbrella, her legs attacking like kicks. Distracted by the sight of Mina, she flipped forward and brought down Lamentations. Alten instinctively jumped back to avoid the overhead attack but Mina was already in mid swing with another. The hesitant Mina was replaced with this much more confident one. She attacked with focus and purpose. Her skills with a sword were just as deadly as her looks and she pressed Alten momentarily, forcing her old mentor to defend. "Well, well. Looks like I underestimated your skills." Alten said casually as the two engaged in armed combat. As time passed, the two combatants continued to fight. The sound of swords clashing against one another rang throughout the grassy field. Alten smiled while Mina appeared focused. Their weapons moved like extensions of their own body. They moved with incredible speed, but Alten's strength was vastly superior to Mina's. So when she blocked an attack, her body would be thrown back and she would need to quickly readjust her stance. When one spends a life fighting they begin to develop a sixth sense. A rustling sensation that warns them when danger is approaching. Mina landed on her feet after she was sent back by one of Alten's attack and she instantly flipped backward as a flash of light sliced through her skirt. In the air, she turned upside down and landed on both feet and then reentered her fighting stance. With the fabric torn from Alten's Dayspring, her left leg was clearly visible, the slit going up near the waist and exposing the majority of her leg. She looked down at her leg and torn skirt, and scowled towards Alten. As anger swelled inside her, the ground began to tremble and the wind was rejected by a pontent wave of pressure being released from Mina. Alten looked on and raised Dayspring in a defensive manner with it diagonally over his midsection. Mina's magical power manifested itself as a deep red aura and she clutched Lamentations tightly. "I see we're getting serious now." Alten stated calmly. Mina stiffened, her magical power reaching its intended level, and she shot forward like a red flaming arrow. The ground exploded under her when she kicked off it and she rocketed forward. Unable to avoid her speed, she crashed against Alten, releasing a powerful ring of force and the two traveled backward from Mina's power. Alten grunted as he stared into the focused eyes of Mina and dug his feet into the dirt, but he couldn't stop from traveling back at blazing speeds and leaving a thick trail underneath them. Their bodies entered a wooded area, destroying every tree in their path. From above, a plume of smoke replaced the path of destruction and after a short distance, a huge explosion ripped through the tree line, blasting away everything nearby and clearing out a huge section. Mina stood at one side of the blasted area, a trail of smoke rising from the blade of Lamentations. She was in a fencer's lunging pose: rapier and arm extended straight in front of her, her other arm back in a right angle and hand up above her head. Her left leg stuck out through the slit in her skirt while the other was straight and sticking out the back. There was complete seriousness on her face as she stared past the smoking crater and the figure standing across from her. There stood Alten, his sword held up diagonally while one hand was propped behind the end of the blade, bracing himself as he did when he blocked the attack. Smoke lifted off his shoulders and chest, while the blade remained undamaged. The energy from Mina's magical attack safely dispersed around Dayspring, almost entirely cancelling out the spell and only leaving superficial burns on his blue jacket. The sizzling sound from the crater subsided and the smoke finally cleared and Alten stood up straight. His face just as focused as Mina, who was returning to her typical stance. He swiped his sword and the wake of his swing parted the smoke and blew it away. "Hmm, seems like you're starting to get serious." Alten brought Dayspring forward and gripped the handle with his other hand, holding it in a formal stance. "Guess I should do the same." When he finished his sentence there was a sudden rush of force that whipped past Mina, blowing her hair and skirt back. She brought her knees together in an effort keep the skirt from blowing up. In an attempt to match her former mentor, Mina raised her own magical power to shield herself from the pressure he was exerting. The force of his aura caused the air around him to ripple like heat while Mina's burned red. Once they both accumulated enough power, their's aura's dispersed and they both launched at each. Both blades flew through the air and when they collided, they were engulfed by a massive white light that expanding outward and released energy through trees before finally detonating in a huge explosion. > Continued in Swords of the Past Summary Fights & Events *'Mina Blutbayne travels to Clover Town to meet her former mentor, Alten Lehrer.' *'Mina's backstory is partly revealed, showing a history with Dreadnaught, Sparrow Blunderbuss.' *'Mina vs Alten' Magics, Spells & Abilities Used Magics *'Requip' (換装 Kansō lit. Express Equipmentary) *'Sword Magic' (剣の魔法 • 嘆き Ken no Mahō) *'Darkness Magic' (闇の魔法 Yami no Mahō) Spells *'Wake of Ruin' (破滅航跡, Hametsu Kōseki)